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Earlier this fall we had a spirited discussion here on the blog about car seats and air travel safety.
One of the items mentioned as an alternative to lugging a car seat is a harness for children that is less bulky but keeps them safe in the air.
Several of the comments on that car seat post were very helpful, and I’d like to highlight a few as we approach the Christmas flying season:
Debbie from Delicious Baby said:
“We travel with the CARES (Child Aviation Restraint System) harness instead of a car seat & we LOVE it. It weighs just a pound or two and fits neatly in our carryon luggage. Our son sits comfortably in it and has a little more space to move than he would with the car seat. We have found, though, that some flight attendants are not familiar with the system, so it’s helpful to keep the documentation (which shows that the harness is FAA approved) in your carryon.”
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Chris from Arewethereyetarewethereyet said:
“Interesting point about aircraft already being equipped with a harness for young kids. That would make life so much easier (and safer). This summer, we had a flight attendant on an American Eagle flight who was very interested in child safety (she’s actually the only flight attendant ever to stop us and check that our seat was FAA certified before letting us use it on board). She mentioned that she was lobbying American to carry a few of the CARES harnesses on each flight, but to no avail. She said she even offered to pay out of her pocket to stock them on her own flight, but she was turned down again. I’m not sure of the complete story, but I think it may have been a liability issue (which would be strange, because American actually sells the product through its website). At a time when airlines are cutting things like blankets and pillows, I guess I shouldn’t hold my breath for new child restraints!”
Kudos to that forward-thinking American Eagle/American Airlines flight attendant….so how about it, Family Travel readers? Would you support paying a bit extra on your tickets to have the airlines equip cabins with CARES restraints for children, for those parents who would like them?
Let me know in the comments!
Technorati tags: travel, family travel, CARES harness, airplane safety, aircraft child restraint
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Good question. I know I’d be happy to pay a little extra, and I’m guessing most anyone who would use the CARES harness would feel the same. On the other hand, as the Southwest boarding policy change recently showed, people who don’t travel with kids have different opinions about family travel issues, and rightfully so.
That being said, the cost would be so low, I’d hope very few people would balk. If the CARES cost were absorbed into the ticket price, the increase would barely be noticeable. Using American Airlines and some very rough math, a generous estimate of American’s fleet size is about 700. Putting 15 CARES harnesses on each flight, even at the $75 retail price, comes to just under $800,000. Divide that up by the roughly 100 million passengers American carries in a year, and you’re talking less than one penny per passenger per flight. Of course, I’m neither an airline executive nor a math major, so feel free to correct me!
While I would be happy to pay extra for the CARES harness to be available on commercial flights, I would worry about the availability. For example, often hotels tell us cribs are available on a first come first serve basis, and I always wonder – what would happen if we arrive at our destination, and there are no cribs at the hotel? Similarly, I would stress about the CARES – what would we do if we got to the airplane, and all 10 (or however many were available) were already spoken for? I guess I am thinking about this especially around the holidays – so many children fly this time of the year – how many CARES harnesses would be needed for each flight?
Hi Chris, and thanks for doing the math, it sounds fiscally do-able.
Hi Kendra, you’re correct as well; if something’s first-come-first-served, do parents who miss out just have tough luck?
And of course, we can’t even get seat belts installed on most school buses, so I can’t see how we can convince people of the necessity for restraints on aircraft, where people are allowed to fly holding infants in their laps.
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hi,
I am planning to fly over to Canada from England in June with my daughter who will be 19 months old by this time. I am interested in using CARES (Child Aviation Restraint System) harness instead of a car seat. But i am wondering if someone could tell me if my daughter would be able to reach the fold out table for meal times and to play with her toys. Thanks
Most of the time it seems that the airlines do not care about the safety or comfort of kids under 2 since they get to travel for free. The same thing is with availability of baby bassinets that attach to the wall.Each aircraft has usually two (I think they are only on longer international flights)and they are first come first serve as well. The frustrating part is that they might be only one infant on that flight and they give the seats that have the bassinet hook ups to an adult with no baby. It is a seat with big leg room and whoever gets it won’t give it up…the bottom line is they don’t care about the little ones.
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Hi Joanna,
I would think that your little one could reach the tray table while restrained in CARES, although you may have to loosen the straps a bit (analogous to wearing a lap belt loosened while airborne.)
Hi Bibiana,
Yes, most aircraft are not set up for a lot of infant fliers, that’s for sure. I wish we had more train transportation options in the US.
Hi, Thank you Sheila for your reply. I am looking in to the two options of CARES and a car seat but i do not know which brands of car seat are approved on the air-lines when i rang the air line they told me it must be FFA approved and with the british kite mark logo. Does any one know what car seats are approved. Thank you
sorry i said FFA i mean Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)!!!
also i have been reading up on other parents experiences of trying to installed the seat on the plane. Alot of parents have said that “between the very limited space in which to work and the pressure of trying to secure the seat as quickly as possible without holding up other passengers, I feel like an inept “Beat the Clock” contestant. As a result, the car seat rarely feels as secure on the plane as it does in our car”.
I’m not good at fitting a car seat in a car let alone on a plane!! is there any tips or can some1 at leat give me a rough idea of what to do. Im clueless!!!! Planning this trip is starting to look very stressful!! HELP
Hi Joanna,
I would recommend using a CARES on the plane and checking the car seat as luggage (be prepared for those extra fees for checking luggage….grrr.)
Yes, car seats are a pain to install in the cramped quarters of a plane. Are you traveling with a companion? Have that person pre-board and install the seat, then you and the child board later. If it’s just you, then definitely try using CARES on the plane and check the seat.
Don’t worry about getting the “evil eye” from other passengers; if they’re parents, they’ll understand that you’re doing your best (and someone may even offer to help you – I do!) and if they aren’t parents and don’t get it, to heck with them. Really.
For more on the topic, try these links:
*** http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/airplanetravel.aspx
*** http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs
*** http://babyjetsetter.blogspot.com/2008/04/which-car-seats-are-approved-for-plane.html
Finally, make every effort to travel light, buy bulky diapers and rent equipment at your destination. The less stuff you are carrying, the better.
I won’t tell you not to freak out, because it IS a logistical challenge to travel with little ones, no question. Plan ahead (which is exactly what you’re doing,) and don’t be shy about asking for help.
They do outgrow this stage, eventually!
Joanna – I had similar concerns about reaching the tray table, and several other issues. You might find my CARES review and photos helpful as you plan. I tested CARES with both of my daughters (different sizes) and detail the drawbacks and perks in this review, which you might find helpful: http://tinyurl.com/697stx. At 19 months, your daughter might be most comfortable for the long haul (and snooze better) in her own car seat, which you can always attach a travel tray to as well (suggestions on my site). Good luck!
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